Want to report?
Reporting or not reporting is your choice
We all make different decisions and heal differently from trauma.
- Reporting is voluntary, and not required for support services. It is your decision, although you do not have to make it alone.
- People who have experienced sexual violence have access to a range of reporting options and can choose to engage with any, all, or none of them.
- SVPRO does not receive reports but can help you learn about your options.
- Report to UBC: If you have experienced sexual harassment, sexual assault, and stalking (inclusive of cyberstalking), you can report it to the UBC Investigations Office. Reporting to UBC is separate from reporting to the police.
- Police: If you have experienced sexualized violence you can report it to the police.
- Civil Court Process: If you were harmed by sexualized violence, you may also access the civil court system to seek compensation.
- Human Rights Supports: If you have experienced discrimination or harassment, you can file a complaint with the BC Human Rights Tribunal. Contact UBC’s Equity and Inclusion Office to learn more.
Deciding to report
Reporting is usually required for an investigation to happen, which can lead to action by relevant authorities (such as UBC and/or police) against someone who perpetrated an act of sexual violence.
- Some people who have experienced sexual violence may want outcomes that require reporting and investigation, such as incarceration or expulsion.
- For some people, reporting may inspire feelings of empowerment, regardless of the outcome.
- Other times, people choose to report because they want the person who harmed them to know that their behaviour was not acceptable.
There are so many reasons and barriers people choose not to report.
- Some people do not feel comfortable reporting to authorities. Reporting may not feel safe based on their identities or their experience.
- Some people do not like the idea of punitive consequences and would prefer an educational or restorative approach. The UBC Investigations Office can discuss Alternative Resolution options with you, including restorative justice, shuttle mediation, and circle work before you file a report, or you can indicate interest or preference for alternative resolution on the web form.
- Others may not want to experience the process of reporting and would prefer to approach their healing outside this context and focus on other aspects of their lives and well-being.
To learn more about reporting processes, we are here to help, whatever you decide.
Call us at 250 807 9640 for support.
Your options
If you have experienced sexualized violence, you have a variety of reporting options.
You might consider making a report to the university and/or other law enforcement authorities such as the police.
The two reporting processes are separate. Reporting to UBC is not the same as making a report to the police and/or other law enforcement authorities.
Report to the police
We recognize this is not a safe option for many people.
This method of reporting to law enforcement is required to make a criminal report. The survivor is by no means required to make a criminal report, though there is a myth suggesting that it is somehow the responsibility of the survivor to stop their assailant by way of reporting to the police. This is emphatically false.
The only responsibility lies with the perpetrator. Survivors get to decide if making a criminal report is the right option for themselves.
Some people choose this option because they are seeking punitive consequences for the person who perpetrated the act of violence, including incarceration.
For those who choose this option, SVPRO can provide support while you prepare to report, and can accompany you to the police.
Which police you will report to depends on where the incident(s) occurred.
If the assault occurred in Kelowna, you can report it to the Kelowna RCMP Department: 1190 Richter Street
Non-emergency line: 250 762 3300
If the assault occurred outside of Kelowna, you can report it to the police in the city where the incident occurred. If you are not sure which option is right for you, SVPRO can help you figure out which police detachment to contact and how to connect with them.
Third-party report
If you want to report sexualized violence to the police and remain anonymous (and you don’t want to go to court), you can make a Third-Party Report. SVPRO can help you learn about the process and options for filing a Third-Party Report. We will not share your name or any other identifying information.
NEXT STEPS
Call us at 250 807 9640 to get support and explore your options.
It’s okay if you are not sure
You don’t have to decide what to do immediately. There is no time limit to report a sexual assault, that occurred in Canada, to the police.
If you have accessed a sexual assault service at a hospital, they can collect and store forensic evidence for up to 1 year.
Report to UBC
Reporting to UBC is an option when the violence or harm was perpetrated by someone in the UBC community. If you submit a report, UBC can investigate and take action related to access to UBC programs and spaces against the person or people who perpetrated it.
SVPRO can provide support while you prepare to report, and can accompany you through the investigation process. For UBC to investigate sexualized violence a report must be submitted to the UBC Investigations Office.
SUBMITTING A REPORT
To submit a report of sexualized violence to UBC:
- Complete the University of British Columbia Investigations Office Form to report sexual misconduct
- Upload any supporting documentation such as screenshots, photos, or a witness list as prompted when completing the form.
- At the bottom of the form, you can click to submit your report, or save and continue later. Once you have included all of the information and supporting documents that you wish to provide, click submit.
Remember, you can provide as much or as little information as you choose. There are no time limits or restrictions about making a report, though once the Respondent is no longer affiliated with UBC, the University has limited jurisdiction.
AFTER YOU SUBMIT A REPORT
- The Director of Investigations will review your report to determine if UBC can investigate your report according to the UBC Sexual Misconduct Policy.
- If the university has jurisdiction to investigate, the Director of Investigations will notify you and assign an investigator.
- The Director of Investigations is required to give a copy of your report to the respondent, the person who the report is made against. Your contact information will not be included in the copy provided to the respondent.
- The investigator will contact you to arrange an interview and tell you about the investigation process.
To learn more about reporting to UBC, connect with SVPRO or check out the UBC Investigations Office website.
Civil process
Sometimes people want to sue or make a tort claim to seek compensation for the harm they have suffered from sexualized violence or domestic violence. It can be empowering to hold a person who caused harm accountable for their behavior, however, there can be a lot of difficulties to the process. We recommend you connect with a lawyer to hear about your options and seek advice.
There are two options available
- If you want to make a claim over $50,000 you will start your claim in the Supreme Court by filing a Notice of Civil Claim. This process can be costly as you will likely need to hire a lawyer. Time period is important to consider, if the person who caused harm is a stranger, you will have two years after the incidents except if the harm is a sexual assault, there is no time period. There is also no time restriction if it happened in the context of an intimate relationship, or in a relationship of dependency.
- If you are seeking for less than $50,000, you would fill out a small claims form with the Provincial Court. Here is a link to all of the forms. If you want to read some case law examples this is a helpful link. Although most people do not rely on a lawyer to file a small claim, we still recommend connecting to a lawyer to hear more about this process and option. You can also file the Civil Resolution Tribunal for awards of $5,000 or less.
Resources for accessing a lawyer
- Stand Informed Legal Advice Services provides free legal advice for people who have experienced sexual assault.
- Rise Women’s Legal Centre (womenslegalcentre.ca) provides legal services for economically disadvantaged women and gender diverse folks.
- Legal Aid BC is available for economically disadvantaged people.
- Access Pro Bono provides brief advice or lawyer referrals.
- Workers’ Advisers Office supports workers with their compensation claims or workplace bullying and harassment.
Human Rights SupportS
If you experience discrimination or harassment based on the BC human rights grounds within the workplace or at school, you can talk to UBCO’s Human Rights Advisor. You can also learn more about the process within the BC Human Rights Tribunal.
The Worker Solidarity Network supports employment standards and human rights complaints if you are a non-unionized worker.
If you don’t know what to do
Call us at 250 807 9640 to explore your options.